


Hello My Old Heart

by LittleDidTheyKnow



Category: Daredevil (TV)
Genre: #NotGivingUp, #SaveDaredevil, #WorthTheWait, #fandomwithoutfear, F/M, Fluff, Gift Exchange, Holiday, Post Season 3, Secret Santa, karedevil - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-31
Updated: 2018-12-31
Packaged: 2019-10-01 18:57:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17249600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleDidTheyKnow/pseuds/LittleDidTheyKnow
Summary: Karen and Matt learn that Foggy's family isn't very subtle at their annual Christmas party. Post DDS3.From a prompt: Foggy's family invites Karen to join their holiday meal as an obvious setup and Matt's so sorry.





	Hello My Old Heart

**Author's Note:**

  * For [spookyshai](https://archiveofourown.org/users/spookyshai/gifts).



“Here’s the thing about Matt: he might not be super reliable, and maybe he disappears from time to time, and people _might_ think he’s dead every now and then, but... he’s a helluva guy!”

Karen could almost feel the heat emanating off Matt’s face from across the room as she spoke with Foggy’s mother. She had just arrived at the Nelson family Christmas, but she was beginning to realize there might have been a plan in place before she’d even been invited.

A plan that probably shouldn’t have involved drinking on the co-conspirators part, but what could you do?

“Wow, I... _you know I hadn’t thought of it that way_.”

She couldn’t help but smile. They had only had a couple of weeks without the looming possibility of death at the hands of Kingpin and Ben Poindexter, so she, Foggy, and Matt had spent them _considering_ starting a new firm and trying to get their friendship back on track. “And he just loves you!” she realized her mistake and tried to fix it. “I mean he’s adorable, right? No, _handsome_. The man is definitely handsome when he runs a comb through his hair and isn’t wearing _sweatpants_.” Karen couldn’t help but laugh. Anna didn’t notice.

She saw that Matt had turned around so that she couldn’t see him, and his body was as stiff as a statue; the back of his neck bright red. She kind of loved watching him being tortured. The fact that it was to get him back in her good graces made it that much sweeter.

“He’s been so good to my Foggy. Well, for the most part. I guess over the course of ten years, you’re bound to have some rocky moments.” She sipped on her whiskey and continued as if she had come to a positive conclusion in the span of ten seconds. “I don’t know what the boy has been going through, but I think he’s back to his old self.”

Karen’s smile was gentle, her tone completely serious. “I’m sure you’re right.”

****

On the other side of the room, a sweating Matt Murdock grabbed his best friend by the arm. “Go get your mother _now_ , Foggy,” he said desperately.

“I’m afraid that goes against everything I believe in, my dear Matthew.”

Foggy was already showing the signs of being tipsy himself. Blushed cheeks, stringing some of his words together, cuddling Marci a little closer than he should in public, much less in front of his family. _Matt_ had noticed, but he noticed most everything.

Those signs combined with giving his best friend an _extremely_ hard time while enjoying it?

 _Definitely tipsy._ _Completely uncharacteristic of the man known as Franklin Percy Nelson._

Matt’s sarcastic side was coming out in his thoughts. Which was good since he was clearly too nervous to be in a social setting with Karen. The more he thought about his current obstacle, the less likely he’d stick his foot in his mouth. Too bad he was fresh out of thoughts.

“You believe in embarrassing the shit out of me? _At Christmas_?” Foggy didn’t blink, just tilted his head and smiled.

“Oh, absolutely. To my very core.”

Matt gritted his teeth.

“You know I really hate y—”

“Yams? is that what you were gonna say, best friend of mine who was actually alive for two months when I thought he was _dead_?”

Lucky for them, no one was listening. They would have expected an eruption and possibly interrupted before Matt finished his thought.

“No that’s _not_ what I was going to say,” Matt said before doing a 180. “I was going to say, _I hate yams_ when there aren’t those baby marshmallows on them. You know what I’m talking about? Not the regular ones— the baby ones.”

“Then it’s your lucky day, Murdock. Because Theo made the yams, and the baby marshmallows are his favorite part,” Foggy smiled.

“That’s great Fog.”

******

Karen fingered her name tag on the table, which had been calligraphed with care. “Ms. Karen Page” was written in green ink, sitting right next to a red “Mr. Franklin Nelson” and a green “Ms. Marci Stahl” next to his.

 _What is this, a wedding?_ She thought before looking to the other side of her name tag. There he was in puffy red ink, “Mr. Matthew Murdock” carefully placed on her left. One more indication that something was afoot? _Probably not_ , she thought. He was one of the only people she knew at this shindig, after all.

“Any chance you might be willing to help a guy find his place setting?”

His voice trembled just slightly at the beginning before transitioning into charming.

“That depends,” she said with as much grace as she could muster. “You willing to share that whiskey you’ve got there?”

He smiled and her heart melted. “I could get you your own.”

“This one’s fine,” she said as she took it from his hand. They were reliving the last happy moment where they thought they might be able to start again. He wasn’t about to ruin it.

“I’m glad.”

“Good. Because if you were dead-set on getting me one, I think I’d be waiting for a long while. I’ve been trying to get a drink for the last half hour but I keep getting edged away from that damn table or forced into conversations that should require alcohol.

Matt pulled the chair she was standing behind out for her and she sat down, tapping his chair so that he knew where he belonged. He touched the place card and nodded.

“Looks like they went _all-out_ this year.”

“This isn’t normal?” Karen asked honestly.

Matt knew he had to answer now that he’d revealed the discrepancy.

“No. Maybe it’s because Marci’s here and they’re trying to send her a message?” Karen could read the lie over his face but decided not to give him a hard time about it. One more indication that she was being pushed toward a certain someone. She decided to change the subject.

“I have a secret,” she said covertly.

He looked over both shoulders and leaned in. “What do you know?”

Karen giggled as she leaned in to whisper.

“Foggy’s mom thinks you’re _handsome_.”

Matt snorted. “It’s not _surprising_ , but what exactly makes you think that, Ms. Page?”

“Oh, she told me outright,” Karen said. “She’s been talking you up every chance she gets, actually.”

The blush returned to Matt’s cheeks as Karen continued. “A lot of people have been doing that, actually.”

“Yeah, I noticed….”

“Are you telling me you _heard_ , Matt Murdock?” Karen joked.

“I mean of course not—” he smiled.

“Because that would be crazy!” Karen added.

Matt took his drink back and jokingly downed the last sip like he was trying to avoid the subject, making sure she could see the corner of a smile.

****

For Karen, the Nelson family Christmas traditions were refreshing compared to the solitary Christmases she was used to. Matt had a similar epiphany a few years before, but he knew well enough that things were about to get interesting.

Karen nursed a new drink as Matt explained what a Nelson family affair entailed.

Everyone brings an item, as you well know. He searched the table for the container with her scent. “Tiramisu? From Nonna’s?”

She smiled from ear to ear. “I will never get used to that.”

“Give it time.”

Karen hoped that she’d be able to get to a point where witnessing Matt’s abilities was more than just a party trick. She found herself missing him more with each day since his return, and she was fortunate enough to see him much more often. She knew she was in trouble.

Matt heard a certain someone’s arrival and the clunk of a heavy Tupperware container as it hit the food table confirmed his suspicions.

“Here we go,” he said happily. “First, there’s the fruitcake.” He could smell it from across the room, shaking his head as Karen followed his finger and saw the table of food she hadn’t been able to get near.

“Kind of a normal staple, isn’t it?” She noticed the crowd was starting to seat themselves, and she prepared to get up to take advantage of the situation, but Matt made things more interesting.

“Not _this_ cake,” Matt explained. “Foggy’s uncle Ryan always makes it, despite the fact that he always, without a doubt, overbakes it.”

Karen cringed. Matt nodded like that was the correct response. Then, like clockwork:

“I swear, Ryan, next year I am going to make a backup fruitcake!” His big brother Edward was yelling for all to hear, and Karen was fairly positive she saw him look over his shoulder to see if he had an audience yet. “You can’t cook to save your life! Really, if I held a gun to your head and told you to make a cake that isn’t rock hard, you wouldn’t be able to do it!” Ryan didn’t even flinch as Edward picked up the container and pushed it into his stomach. “You’d be dead right now but I’d be doing you a favor because you wouldn’t need to _eat_ this.”

Karen forgot any plan to move from her exact position as she watched with delight, and Matt realized it was much more fun to witness an outsider as they experienced the fake drama for the first time.

“Ya think you could do better, Edward?” Ryan shouted. Several people looked on, while others continued conversing, clearly over the charade.

“ _Absolutely_ I could!”

“This is coming from the man who couldn’t bake a birthday cake!”

“I was 12 years old, Ryan! It’s an old story and we’re tired of hearing it, but you _know that!_ You do this every year and then you deflect deflect deflect. I’m not having it! Just buy a damn cake! Why do we keep letting him DO this?”

“Is this real?” Karen said just above a whisper. “Does someone need to step in?”

Matt smiled and pointed to the group in the corner who weren’t even paying attention.

“Not today. I’ve heard that there has been some actual aggression at one time, but this is all part of the show.”

The end came with Edward dropping the container on the table and it breaking the glass container right up the middle. The two men burst into laughter along with the dozen or so people around them, garnering the attention of the rest of the family.

“Man, I thought my extended family was ridiculous.”

She hadn’t seen her mother’s side of the family since her funeral, which she’d considered a good thing considering how dysfunctional they were, but it made her a little sad around the holidays. Matt noticed her change in demeanor, but he knew the perfect way to cheer her up.

“It gets better. You’re about to witness the whiskening”

Karen had no idea what that was going to entail, but she was excited to find out. “The _what_?”

“It’s my name for the shitshow that’s about to happen.” She saw the top of Anna’s head as she parted the crowd and Matt narrated what she couldn’t see. “They pour nearly an entire bottle of whiskey over the rock-hard cake and microwave it and—”

“ _They do not_ — _”_ She was standing to see, but she had no luck. Matt remained in his snarky state, shaking his head like he was above the entertainment he was most definitely enjoying.

“—And eat it. And get drunk.”

“You’re messing with me again. Right? That sounds disgusting!”

She slumped back into her chair, realizing she wasn’t going to be able to see without leaving. He shrugged. “It’s not that bad actually.”

“Matt Murdock, no!”

He smiled. “Karen Page, yes.”

“I’m not eating that.”

Matt placed his hand on her shoulder and smiled. “Choose not to at your own risk. Just know you are insulting all past, present, and future generations of the entire family if you don’t.”

“Why do you even come to these things anymore?”

“Once you’re in you can’t get out.”

“Nobody told me that!”

He smiled.

“Really? I can’t believe I forgot to mention it.”

*****

Dinner lasted a good hour and a half, and Karen regretted the fact that she didn’t duck out the moment she cleaned her plate.

She looked around the room for Matt, but he was nowhere to be found. That distraction was enough for Theo to hand her a paper plate of fruitcake before moving on to the next innocent bystander, Foggy’s cousin’s date.

Karen stared at the dark brown brick with liquid seeping out of it. She saw Edward’s bright eyes looking at her and she tried to fake a smile as she broke a piece off and took a bite.

She tried to suppress the urge to vomit, swallowing the tiny piece and turning around so that no one could see her. She didn’t get her wish. She saw Matt’s smug and smiling face approach her.

“You are so very wrong, Matt. This is _disgusting_.” She eyed a garbage can right near her and considered shoving him to cause a distraction so that she could dump it. Then she noticed something was missing. “Wait a second, why in the hell aren’t you— _why aren’t you eating this_?”

He acted like he hadn’t just committed a major betrayal.

“Oh, I forgot. I _never_ eat that garbage.”

She grabbed his arm with her open hand and whispered menacingly into his ear.

“Matt Murdock you take a bite _now_.” The fact that her threat hadn’t seemed to scare him even a little bit made her want to light something on fire.

“Or, better yet, what if I _don’t_?”

He smiled from ear to ear and her mouth dropped open in shock.

“There he is! Come over here, Matt! You too, Karen!”

Anna didn’t even notice the situation she’d just interrupted. Karen was a mixture of angry and impressed, and Matt was thoroughly enjoying it.

“I was just telling Foggy that you need to start the firm back up again!”

Matt nodded as Karen tossed her entire plate into the garbage can. Anna looked in her direction, but Matt was quick to distract her.

“Do you think we should change up the name this time, Anna? Maybe Murdock & Nelson at the top? Maybe Neldock? Or Murson!”

“What do you mean at the top?” Anna asked knowingly.

“Well, it’ll be whatever we decide with a ‘Page Investigations’ following it.”

Anna was ecstatic. “I’m so happy! You’re really going to join, Karen?”

“Looks like!” she said happily. “And I’d go with Murson,” she added. “Or Pasondock!”

Matt laughed. Anna looked at them like that was the most ridiculous thing she’d ever heard.

“You _would_ put your name first, Page.” Foggy laughed. He and Marci had made their way over, along with Theo and Edward. “I think the favorite is ‘Murson and Page?’ though it sounds like we’re hit men. Or maybe in publishing?”

Matt noticed that several people had convened around them, and it was starting to make him nervous. He was already worried over the barrage of comments people had made about how great he was. Now that there was an audience, he wouldn’t be surprised if it went the other way and became a full-blown roast.

Karen started eyeing the crowd as well. Foggy’s cheeks were bright red and Marci looked like she held onto a juicy secret.

“So, you two have any plans for New Years?” Foggy’s father asked.

Karen smiled awkwardly. “Oh, I don’t know what I’ll be doing.”

“You mean you won’t be _together_?” Foggy asked.

Matt’s eyebrows narrowed. “Foggy! _What are you_ —”

“You think you’ll kiss when the ball drops?” Theo added.

Several people who’d grown to know Matt since his time as Foggy’s roommate started to giggle. Marci rolled her eyes, but it was obvious she was enjoying what was happening.

Matt’s eyes grew wide. Karen looked like she was either going to burst into laughter or run away.

“I don’t think we… I mean I… What I mean is, Karen and I are… Let’s not put any pressure on—”

Karen was enjoying watching him squirm. It almost made her forget the burned cake and whiskey bouquet in her mouth. Almost.

“Don’t be so nervous, you two!” Anna said like the line of questioning was completely normal. “If you’re this _worried_ , maybe you should just get some practice in now!”

Karen covered her mouth in shock before she noticed the eyes that drifted to the space above them, followed by a few fingers pointing.

“Oh God, Matt. There’s…”

“Mistletoe?” he said. He was kicking himself for missing the smell.

Several people broke into giggles as they waited in anticipation. But Matt wasn’t about to force her to kiss him over a ridiculous tradition. Then he felt her lips on his and he went with it.

There were several cheers and a couple of hoots as Karen slipped him just a little bit of tongue. She pulled away cooly and left him with his jaw dropped.

The “yeah, girl!”s and laughter was a blur as he focused on only her. She laughed happily, but her heart was racing, and he knew she was blushing hard.

He already planned to check “regretfully cannot attend” on the next Nelson family Christmas invitation.

*****

The party continued on and they were soon separated, which was good considering neither Karen nor Matt wanted to have the serious conversation that came with having yet another first kiss. Matt timed his exit appropriately, hearing Karen tell several people that she was going to take off. He wasn’t sure if she was trying to make him hear her, but he did the same and grabbed her coat off the rack as she put her gloves on. Nobody gave them a hard time as they left; they were too busy enjoying themselves to notice the couple leaving at the same time.

The moment the door closed, Matt knew it was time to apologize.

Karen had other plans.

“You really thought you’d get out of tasting that garbage cake, didn’t you?”

Matt’s jaw dropped. He was too busy enjoying the kiss to realize that there was a reason she took it to the next level.

“That’s why you—”

“The next time you decide to trick me, just remember, you won’t get away with it.”

He couldn’t help but be impressed.

“I really thought you were better than this, Karen!”

“I’m really not.”

“And here I thought you just couldn’t handle yourself around me.”

“Think again, Murdock. If I can handle seeing you with your shirt off and not jumping your bones, I can handle a little kiss in front of sort-of family.”

“You bested me, Karen Page.”

“That I did. And I disinfected my mouth with a gin and tonic, so now it tastes like a Christmas tree.”

“I wish I had thought to do that! What say we give that kiss another try?” he leaned slightly and she put her hand on his chest.

“I may not have extraordinary senses, but I am not willing to find out if you still taste like whatever the hell that was, Matt.”

He laughed as she pulled some mints from her purse and placed one in his hand before they started walking toward her apartment.

The silence allowed for time to think, and Matt was right back where he’d started.

“I can’t believe they did that, Karen. I’m so sorry. Never again.”

Karen nodded as she felt a snowflake fall on her nose. New York had given her her favorite Christmas present. Two inches of snow lined the sidewalks and streets. It was beautiful.

“Wait, you’re telling me you weren’t _in_ on it?”

She didn’t seem to be bothered. He decided to play along.

“I mean, that wasn’t _my_ plan. They definitely weren’t supposed to get _drunk_. They were just supposed to get us under the mistletoe.”

Karen’s mouth dropped open in surprise. “Wait... what?

She saw his smile and realized her mistake.

“I’m messing with you.”

“Oh.” She felt a little ridiculous. Of course, he didn’t plan for such an embarrassing chain of events. Her Matt was more subdued around her these days. She didn’t know just how careful he had to be around her to not make her uncomfortable.

And yet,

“I’m guessing they’ve heard your name out of my mouth too many times and they were just giving me the push I needed.”

She stopped dead in her tracks and he did the same. She couldn’t help but look away from him to see the snow that was illuminated by a streetlight. He couldn’t take his senses off of her.

“So what was _your_ plan?”

She knew there wasn’t really a plan, but she wanted to see how far he was willing to take it.

“Well if it wasn’t under the mistletoe, which was bound to be a difficult execution, given the co-conspirators inability to hold their booze.”

“I was planning on taking you on a joyride ending at the tip-top of the Chrysler building.”

She smiled at the thought. “Now that would be impressive.”

“I know. I’ve been getting better with the billy club and I figured you can’t get any better than that in the city.”

“What was the holdup?”

“Weather.”

She laughed. “It is a little bit cold. The Chrysler building must be slippery from that far up.”

“Too much metal, too much steel,” he said honestly.

“Fair enough.”

“Another idea was to take you on a trip to Paris or Italy… Maybe Spain.”

“I like it. I’d take any or all three.”

“I figure we both could use a vacation after everything,”

“Truer words have never been spoken.”

“So, on the seventh night—”

“The _seventh_?”

“—I’d pop the question...”

“ _The what now?_ ”

He acted like she hadn’t said anything, taking her hand in his as she looked deeply into his eyes in search of an answer.

“Will you, Karen Page….” She held her breath. He had her right where he wanted her. “—consider dating me again?”

She burst into laughter.

His face contorted into mock shock.

“That is not the direction I was hoping this would go. Glad I didn’t throw thousands of dollars I don’t have behind it.”

She tried to control herself. The laughing didn’t stop for a solid minute.

He moved on like it hadn’t happened.

“That is of course after wining and dining you up until then. Hopefully you’d figure out the direction I was going.”

“Hopefully.” She smiled as she imagined that crazy idea. Away from New York, away from their problems. It sounded nice. “Well, I mean, I know the cat’s out of the bag, but, I say go with that one for sure.”

“Ok, give me a little time, and I’ll work up to it.”

“ _Time?_ Who needs time? What’s the holdup, Murdock?”

“Well, the thing about Europe is…. It’s actually pretty expensive.”

“You don’t say!”

“And I’m almost done paying you back for my rent but not quite—”

“I’d have allowed an extension!”

“See I didn’t know that.”

“So I’m left here to wait for you to make a move?”

“Not necessarily.”

He heard her heart flutter and finally felt like he had the upper hand. “There’s another option?”

“Oh, yeah, but it’s not as flashy, but it’s the most likely scenario given my constraints”

“I can live without flashy.” “It’d probably be just like this,” he said honestly.

“Walking outside in the freezing cold?”

“It’s perfect, isn’t it? And I’d probably say something like, I don’t know…” he became serious and took her hand into his. “‘I’ve screwed up _a lot_ , but I’ve always had best, if misguided intentions. And I’ve come to the realization that my most recent move was the worst—’”

“That’s a good start.”

“Yeah?” He pulled her hand to his lips and kissed her right in the location where her glove and coat didn’t cover her wrist. “But you helped me out of that. You saved my life, Karen. And I’m glad I’ve gotten to see you. I would thank you for that every day if I could.”

She felt tears in her eyes as her voice broke slightly.

“You kind of do that already.”

“It isn’t enough,” he did that sad, but quick smile, which always made her want to kiss it away.

“And I’ve tried my best not to fall in love with you considering how much more you deserve…”

She raised her eyebrows and covered her mouth with her other hand.

“...But you are an impossible human being.”

She laughed. “I am.”

“And I do. _Love_ you that is.”

She had to catch her breath.

“ _You do_?”

“Not a doubt in my mind.”

She sniffled as he continued.

“I mean those Nelsons, they don’t lie…”

“Well, damn.”

That made him nervous.

“What?”

“That’s much better than _my_ plan.”

“ _Your_ plan?”

“I always have a plan, Matt.” She squeezed his hand in hers and kissed his cheek before continuing. “I was just going to trick you into taking me to dinner and then tell you in the morning after you make me breakfast.”

She shrugged like it was unimpressive and then resumed walking.

It was like a lightbulb had turned on. He had to run to catch up to her.

“Wait... _what_?”

She acted like he hadn’t said a thing.

“I’m _starving_ , Murdock.”

“You are?”

“I am. And considering you still owe me rent money…”

He didn’t miss a beat.

“Let me take you to dinner?”

“You’re such a sweetheart.”

He knew exactly the place. And lucky for him, it was right next to a convenience store that was bound to sell eggs and bacon.

She grabbed his hand and tilted her head against his shoulder as they walked through the snow.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope this fits your wishlist, spookyshai! I tried to keep it near the tone of the show, but I love making Matt snarky. Somehow I made it more fluffy than I'd intended.


End file.
